Dust problems surge in North

Yesterday afternoon an air-quality-measuring station at Chiang Mai's Phuping Palace found 100 micrograms per cubic metre (mpcm) of fine dust particles, while a measuring station at the Civil Service Office Complex found 105-mpcm of dust.

A third measuring station at downtown Yupparaj School recorded 129 mpcm of dust.

Chiang Mai Health Office warned the public not to exercise outdoors.

Nakhon Chiang Mai Municipality opened fountains around the city canal to try to tackle the dust, which had caused some residents to develop skin, eye and nasal irritations. And some establishments set up water-spraying devices to counter the dust.

Things were worse in Lampang province, where the director of region 2's environment office, Suwit Khattiyawong, said fine dust particles rose from less than 120 mpcm over the past one to two days to more than 201 mpcm yesterday.

That was due to a forest fire and people burning garbage outdoors. People were able to see a veil of dust, especially in Nakhon Lampang municipality.

If the situation did not improve, the dust level could affect people's health. They could suffer nasal and eye irritations and respiratory diseases, warned Lampang Health Office official Dr Shinoros Leesawat.

He urged people to cover their noses with a face mask or soaked handkerchiefs while outdoors, and instructed all schools not to let children exercise outside to prevent them inhaling dust particles.

The health office had distributed 10,000 face masks in recent months and had request?ed another 10,000 from the Pollution Control Department, he said.

Lampang Highway Police also warned motorists to exercise caution because the dust created poor visibility on the Lampang-Ngao-Phayao, Lampang-Den Chai-Phrae and Lampang-Chiang Mai roads.